Contestshipping: An Age Old Tale
by Misty Ketchum97
Summary: May is a Princess from Hoenn, but is betrothed to someone she's never even met. She runs away, just to get into an even larger mess than she could imagine...
1. Chapter 1: The Princess

Contestshipping: An Age Old Tale

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**Well, I got an idea for another Contestshipping story! :D But I have no clue if this will be a oneshot or longer. :P I'll just have to wait and see.**

**I'm going to work really hard to make sure May and Drew's personalities come out correctly, because I realize I actually don't know how to do that at all. Lol. Still, I'll try.**

**Well, onto the story! ^_^**

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Chapter 1: The Princess

The door closes with a soft thud as the light pink hem of my skirt swishes across the room. I sit down on the sofa next to the window; my gloved hand traces the mahogany wood carvings on the side of the long couch. Sighing, I twist my finger around one of my brunette braids that hangs in front of my ear. I look out the window at the sun that is barely peeking over the treeline.

_Any minute now..._ My eyes start to droop closed, and I don't realize it till I'm tipping forward in an exhausted sleep...

The trumpeters begin blaring their annoying tune and it awakens me right away. A whole night of riding a horse doesn't help with personal beauty sleep. I feel last night's migraine coming on, and realize today is the day. Not one I'd like to come. Ever.

I get to my feet and change in a pink, petal-like dress with the wings of a Beautifly on the back. I re-braid my hair again and with the rest of my brown locks, I tie into two separate pigtails on either side of my head. Running to the door, I slip on my heeled shoes that are a soft, bright pink and head down to the throne room. My shoes clatter against the stone staircase as I run down in circles, the spiraling motion still giving me a headache as usual. Reaching the long carpeted floor, I run by all the tapestries that date back hundreds of years from our Kingdom's past.

I dash by one of our previous monarchs and make a turn at the large wooden and gold engraved doors. The two knights in front take the handles and pull them back so I am able to enter. My mother and father sit on their thrones as Max, my brother, gets chased by the large Slaking. I bow respectfully and raise my head, awaiting the worse news.

"As you know, we have decided on a Prince from one of the neighboring kingdoms to be your husband." My father says.

"So we've chosen-" My breath catches. "Prince Ash from Kanto." My heart sinks immediately.

I keep my posture, trying to make sure I don't allow my shoulders to sag. Ash, the densest Prince they could choose from.

Why him of all Princes? Why not Prince Paul Shinji from Sinnoh? At least he knows wha is. I sigh quietly and bow to them.

"Of course." I say.

_Not on my life!_ My mind screams, but I smile.

"When is the wedding?" I ask through pursed lips.

"It will be in three days." My mother says proudly. My smile sours.

_Three days? That's too soon!_ I bow again and turn away before they can see all the tears welling up in my eyes. I run once leaving the throne room, and make my way up the staircase without feeling dizzy, but I already am because of the proposal. I wipe my eyes with a gloved finger and slam my bedroom door open. Flinging myself down on the couch, I begin to cry loudly.

Once I'm wed to Ash, I'll never be able to come back here. Kanto is so far away...and voyages cost so much...I doubt that the Kingdom in Kanto would pay for me to visit. Luckily they're paying for this voyage because our harvest has gone bad. But the sea is very dangerous. I bury my face in a fluffy pillow; I wont see my mother, father, or Max ever again.

After a while I've finished crying; the sun is beginning to set and I'm exhausted. My face is red and splotchy, but that is the least of my worries. My mind is thinking of ways to get out of the marriage. My brow furrows and I gulp. The only way to escape this is to leave the castle. Forever.

At least I'll be able to stay in my own land, and not some foreign place. I get to my feet and begin to pack whatever I can into many of my small purses. I know I'll need gold, so I should bring several bars of that, and then a few dresses along with a warm cloak for the winter. I bite my lip as I pack the last thing into my horse's saddle bag. I just hope that I'll have enough gold. I take two more pairs of shoes and shove them into the bag.

Slinging it over my shoulder, I look outside as the crescent moon begins to rise. That will be helpful so that no one can spot me easily... I look around my room one last time; my wooden wardrobe sits motionless and my four poster bed's draperies hang suspended in the cool air. I feel a few tears coming to my eyes from the thought of leaving this familiar room, but I slap my cheeks with both hands, reminding myself that this is better than leaving Hoenn forever. I pull my cloak on and button it, flipping the hood over my head.

Sneaking out of my room, I carry a tall candle and shove my matches into my pocket for later along with a small, old, ornamental knife for cooking. I patter down the stairs and through the passageways, looking at the tapestries carefully to remember them in my mind. I run too my parent's room and kiss both their foreheads as they snore peacefully. I feel tearful as I creep into Max's room.

I place a carefully written note down on his nightstand and allow a moment to lightly ruffle his black hair with my hand, then I quickly leave the room before breaking into sobs. I tiptoe past the guards at the gate and exit through one of the Royal Family's secret passages. Entering the forest outside the gate, I pull my cloak around myself as the chilly wind bites at me. I hurry over to the stables and unlock them, slipping through the crack in the doors. I head over to my horse, and pull myself onto it's saddle. Attaching my bag to the side I whistle softly.

"Giddy up Starshine." I murmur, and my horse whinnies loudly, crashing through the stable doors and down the path into the forest. I ride Starshine quickly, and flick the reins. "Ya!" After about an hour or two of riding, I pull out my map.

"Since I'm in Petalburg, I need to head towards the coast. They wouldn't suspect me to stay right underneath their noses." I mutter to myself, trying to reassure my mind that I'm doing this for my own good. Stuffing the wrinkled map into my pouch, I pull the string to close the top while holding the reins with my left hand.

* * *

After another three hours, I stop near a river and hop down, my dress swishing against the short grass as the wind ruffles my hair. I allow Starshine to drink her fill in the river as I look around for scraps of tree brush. Piling a sloppy pile of twigs together I frown. How am I supposed to make a fire? I know there's a certain way to do it, but I've only seen a few knights perform this task and that was years ago... I pull out my matchbox. Biting my lip I shake my head. I shouldn't waste these just yet.

I don't know when I'll get to the coast. Stuffing them back into my pocket, I dig around in the dirt, staining my gloves and finding a few flint stones. Slamming the stones together, I make a few sparks near the wood. It seems as if I were sitting there for hours until a spark catches and the fire begins to slowly burn. I cup my dirty, gloved hands around the small flame and make sure the wind doesn't blow it out.

Starshine falls asleep standing up and I yawn. The moon sparkles lightly in the sky, seemingly oblivious to my own personal turmoil. I tug off my cloak and flatten it on the ground. Lying down, I try to get some sleep.

I hear birds chirping loudly and bolt up, but immediately cringe. Myback aches from sleeping on the hard ground; I get up and dust my cloak off. Hurrying to Starshine's side, I pull myself up and nudge her to make her move.

"Ya!" She jumps over the creek and dashes towards the South, too the coast. I wonder what I'll do once getting there...? Urging Starshine on, I make up for lost time and get too LittleRoot Village by mid-morning. The villagers look up as I steer Starshine through the marketplace where many produce stands are set up. I begin to feel uneasy. Maybe my clothes are extravagant. I hop off near a dress stall and pull Starshine towards it. Tying her to a pole, I enter the shop.

"Ah welcome-why,..M'Lady! What can I get for you?"

I look around.

"Can I get that blue dress there?" I ask.

She smiles broadly. "Why of course! But isn't it a little plain for your status?" She inquires. I shake my head.

"No, this is good enough." I say; standing out will not help me disappear into the population. I take the dress after paying with a few bronze coins. I frown while leaving; everything is so cheap,...I wonder why? I slip the brown package containing my dress into the saddlebag and hop onto Starshine. I ride over to a produce stand and buy some fresh fruits, vegetables, and dried meat. Once finishing I lean down to Starshine's ear.

"Giddy up." I murmur, and leave LittleRoot village as quickly as possible.

* * *

The air begins to smell salty as I reach the end of yet another woods. Starshine plods slowly down the path as the sun steadily gets higher in the sky. The cool, late-morning breeze hits me and I breathe in the salty air. Smiling, I realize I'm reaching my destination: the coast. I squeeze Starshine's sides to make her go faster and as she reaches a gallop, I see the seaside port and town.

_Maybe I'll find a place to stay for tonight down there..and then I can change into my peasant attire._ I grin at my plan and ride Starshine down the sandy hill. Reaching the town, I see many fisherman who are dragging nets filled with flopping fish to the market. I wrinkle my nose at the stench and cover my face with a hand. Reaching an inn, I lead Starshine into the stable on it's side.

A stable boy walks up and holds his hand out.

"Two bronzes please, miss." He says. I pull out two and place them in his hand. He stuffs them into his pocket and takes Starshine to a stall. I walk out and around into the inn. The innkeeper sits behind the counter, sipping tea. I walk over to him.

"I'd like a room." I say, remembering what I've heard the maids in the castle say about back when they used to stay in inns before working at the castle. He looks up, his stern face looking back at mine. He has one a brown tunic and a floppy hat.

"How many nights?"

"One for the moment, I don't know how long I'm staying." I reply.

"A silver please." He states; I pull one out and put it in his large hand. He slips it into his dirty pocket and hands me a key.

"Number 8 on the second floor." He says, then returns to his tea. I look at the rusty key and grimace, wondering why the innkeeper doesn't invest in new supplies. I walk up the wooden staircase and cross the hall to the room with an eight on it. I slip the key in the hole and push the doorway open. The room is so plain I feel sick. I traded my extravagant life to live in the dumps. I sigh and shut the door behind me until it clicks, locking. At least I wont have to leave Starshine, or Hoenn, that's the worst thing that could happen.

I collapse onto the bed and doze off.

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Later in the day, at precisely one o'clock, I enter the town again, carrying my saddle bag with all my items in it underneath my cloak so I will be less suspicious than riding a horse. I flick my hood up and walk down the streets. I see a town crier taking a proclamation and paste it to a tavern. I look at it and gasp.

_My name is on it! And the reward is 100,000 gold bars! _ My head begins to feel dizzy and I quickly walk away, thanking that fact that my portrait is not on the sheet of paper. Heading down to the marketplace, I look around at all the stalls that have more peasant items that I could add too the blue dress I got earlier. I stop at a shop with some cooked fish and decide to buy a few.

"A bronze." The storekeeper says, and I hand her one.

_If this keeps going on, I will never need to worry about prices because everything is so inexpensive!_ I hold the fish on a stick and am about to take a bite when someone whisks it away from my grasp. I stare dumbly at my hand, then look up. My eyes meet pure emerald ones, and I blink. The face that has the eyes smirks and holds the fish as if it were a specimen.

"I personally think that the fish my men catch are certainly better than this three day old fried thing." He states. I frown.

"But I think it looks just fine."

He lowers one eyebrow and raises the other.

"Seriously? You're going for cheapness rather than quality. What a drag, and you seemed so smart. Brainless." I glare at him.

"Brainless? I'm not stupid, now give that back!" I reach up but since he's way taller than me, he just holds the fish out of my grasp. I try to grab at his arm but I'm not tall enough. I step back, heaving, my shoulders rising and falling. I look at this figure who has the gall to steal from a princess and think he can get away with it.

Suave green hair covers his head in a perfect mop, a dark blue sailor's coat drapes across his shoulders elegantly, along with black knee-high boots and a pressed white shirt, his whole look is almost complete. He's probably a captain for a ship. I look up, and freeze.

_His hat..._

He swiftly takes it off in a way that looks showy, but trying to stay secretive. I cross my arms then wait for the perfect moment and while he's slipping his hat away to snatch the fish back, then stuff the whole thing into my mouth. He looks up, startled for a split second, then puts his cool charm back on.

"No one has done that in a while, let alone a little girl." He smirks. I throw the fish's stick in a bin next to the food stall and wipe my hands on my skirt. I glare up at the green eyed pompous cretin and stare at him steadily.

"I'm not a little girl. I'm old enough to take care of myself." I reply hotly. He puts a hand to his chin.

"Like that's the case." He says sardonically. I stomp my foot childishly.

"Of course it is!" I clench my fists. The green haired man looks up diagonally to the right for a minute then back at me with a playful look in his eyes.

"I highly doubt that." My face steams at his comment. "But," He continues, "if you'd like to prove it, come to the docks. If you're brave enough to go there, I'll apologize to you." My cheeks puff out angrily and he smirks.

"You also have to come at sunset." He smiles then walks away, his back facing me.

"But you'll have to find me yourself!" He calls out while he holds up a hand and waves as he enters the busy crowd. I feel like a cork in a shaken up bottle.

"Argh!" I exclaim, then stalk back to the inn.

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I heave my saddle bag on my shoulder, carrying all my things while leading Starshine through the crowd. I don't feel comfortable leaving Starshine alone for too long and I'm not sure where this mysterious pompous man will be, so to be safe I'm taking her with me. Walking through the dirty sand to a pier, I look at all the magnificent ships, with billowing sails and tall masts.

I frown, wondering which one is where HE would be. I cluck my tongue and Starshine follows me down a pier as I look back and forth at the busy sailors, who look exhausted from hauling heavy lines and carting fish away by the ton.

"Heave ho!" I hear, and look up in time to see a net filled with fish fly over my head to a man on my right. Some fish wriggle out and land on me in the process and I cringe as they're scaly forms flop around.

"Ugh!" I yelp, whacking them off with a flick of my hand. Luckily I'm wearing gloves. Tugging Starshine away, I barely notice a faint sorry coming from the tired fisherman. I continue on bravely through the smelly boatyard and stop once hearing a shout.

"Ahoy!" I look up to my left and see...the emerald eyed man from earlier smirk down at me. He has his foot on the edge of a colossal ship with many sails and three tall masts. He bends down on his knee and raises his eyebrows.

"I didn't think you were coming."

I stick my chin up defiantly.

"Of course I would! I'm no coward!" I shout up to him.

"What?" He asks, holding a hand to his ear. "Cannot hear you miss! Come up the plank!" I look up around at the ship and notice...a very large crew. I edge back, feeling nervous.

"Rather not!" I shout back up. He stands back and crosses his arms.

"Can't understand you. You're voice is quieter than a mouse!" He calls down.

I sigh and shake my head at him, then make an X with my arms. I turn away, ready to leave when I suddenly get a bad feeling.

The ship this man owns looks nothing like the royal ships of our Kingdom...it's coat of arms...

I whirl around to confront him, but a whizzing sound has my eyes widening. I see a lasso fly down and fall over my head. It happens to fast and I realize that my hands are pinned to my sides with a thick rope.

My eyes widen as I look down, then up at him. He has the other end of the rope in his hand and he's smirking. He tugs on it and yanks my whole body up in the air as if I were a rag doll. I fly through the air, to shocked to scream in terror. He catches me bridal style and smiles at me. I look at him, aghast. He drops me and I hit the deck with a thunk.

"Round up her horse!" He says, and his crewman cheerily. I sit on my bottom, unable to stand due to my hands tied to my sides and look up at him with a look of anger. I watch as they corral Starshine up the gangplank and into a small stable on the ship. The green eyed captain grabs the rope around my middle and uses it to pull me into a standing position. The rest of the crew runs up and stands to attention. The captain smirks at me, then holds his left hand out in a showy sort of way.

"Welcome, Princess May, to Drew Hayden's noble Pirate ship!" He proclaims. My eyes widen. I knew his hat looked wrong.

_Mother, Father, Max. I've made a grave mistake..._

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**End of chapter 1! This will be a short fanfic. I think. :P So hope you enjoyed Drew in a pirate-y sense. ;)**

**Please Review!**

**~Misty**


	2. Chapter 2: The Pirate

_Contestshipping: An Age Old Tale_

Chapter 2: The Pirate

**Update on Christmas! yay! :) Also happy holidays for whatever you celebrate this month. ^.^**

**I know people want this to be updated so I'll try my best to make it a good one! And it wont be that long due to me having to update so many other fanfictions at the same time. ^.^**

**Onto the chapter!**

The boat rocks back and forth and I feel another wave ram the ship and almost puke for the fifth time this hour. I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the spinning, yet it doesn't do much good. My hands are still bound behind my back with some strips of cloth. Twisting around, I try to move my hands but my wrists are stuck; immobile.

Grinding my teeth together, I start knocking my leg against the bunk I'm sitting on and make a thumping sound. These scurvy infested scalawags have no right to keep my captive on this ship! I ought to teach them a lesson and let the royal guard upon them, but now that I've left the throne, I am no longer able to command anyone. I sink lower against the hard mattress, and press my back against the wooden wall.

They made me change out of my pink dress and into the blue one I'd bought at the market before tying me up and tossing me on the bunk bed without a care for my comfort. Closing my eyes, I wish to wake up from this horrible nightmare, but instead, it just gets worse.

Footsteps reach my ears and I open my eyes to see Captain Drew Hayden descending the steps to my poorly furnished quarters. I give him a look of utter loathing, and sit up. He looks at me carefully.

"I'll unbind you if you try not to escape, even though you can't anyway since we're at sea." he says. I glare but nod begrudgingly.

I know I can't escape now. We've been at sea for about seven hours. He pulls out his saber and swiftly slices the bindings off. I rub my swollen wrists carefully.

"Scum." I say bitterly, nursing the stinging parts.

"I'm not scum," He replies. "I'm a noble pirate stealing in a noble way."

"Stealing isn't noble." I spit back.

"In the pirate handbook, it is." he retorts. I throw my arms up in the air.

"Whatever!"

Drew grins at me, and puts his hands on his hips.

"I came here to tell you the details of this long voyage." he says. I just stare at him.

"I was thinking, to make it dramatic and such, that we could keep you here and travel the world for maybe...ten years? Then return with a grand entrance and proclaim that we found the lost daughter of the King and Queen." He looks at me for my reaction, which is an expression full of shock. I stare at him aghast at the cruelness of his plan.

"That's horrible!" I comment, finding my voice. "You really are scum!" He shakes his index finger.

"Nuh uh! I am just a gentleman who steals nobly." I face palm.

"But you're still a pirate!"

Drew smiles. "That I am." he leans forward. "And being the pirate I am, I'm going to make you do something."

He grins at me as I flash a glare at him, a little scared.

…

Drew holds out an old bucket and dirty washrag. I cross my arms.

"I am not doing that." I say steadily. "I refuse." Drew sets the pail and rag down, then splashes me in the face with a handful of water.

"Wha-STOP!" I shriek, and a cold breeze swirls around us, making me shiver violently. I've always been sensitive to the cold, and it doesn't help being wet.

Drew smirks at my discomfort. I just throw a look filled with daggers at him, and clench my fists. Drew finally sighs and shrugs.

"Well, I guess you can just stay up here until you learn to mind your manners and listen to me." he walks away. I sit down on the deck with a thump, crossing my arms stubbornly. I frown at the hole in the floor where Drew disappeared below decks and begin muttering complaints about him. But I know that in doing so, it wont help me with the problem I have at hand at the moment.

Looking around, I see many crewman manning the ship in a coordinated manner. I huff, feeling extremely out of place in the crowd of pirate men. I lean against the side of the deck, and close my eyes. How could things have ended up this way? If only I hadn't gone to the docks, I probably would still be safe in that inn I was staying at.

Feeling my throat starting to burn, I swallow down my unshed tears and resolve not to let the honor-less pirate captain Drew to win and destroy my inner strength. I will get through this, and he will be sorry he ever kidnapped me and took me onto his horrid ship. Standing onto my wobbly knees as the boat rocks to and fro, I quickly think of a plan.

If I'm good too soon, they will think something is up. But then later...if I can gain their trust enough to think I've accepted being on their ship, I can escape whenever we land in a different port, and stay in that country. I bite my lip and hug my arms tightly to myself at the cold. Yet again, I have no idea where my supplies are, as well as the gold I brought with me.

I'll need to sweetalk someone into telling me where it is, but maybe after I get their trust. I mull over my complicated plan in my head, doing the math to see how many weeks I'll have to wait before fulfilling it. And then there is the fact that maybe we wont be docking anytime soon, and that is just a random occurrence of when Drew chooses to stop to stock up on supplies.

I frown and pace back and forth. For the first few days, I shouldn't obey them, but I should also be careful not to make Drew furious and perhaps hurt me. I gulp remembering the rapier he had on his belt. I shake my head at the thought of being skewered, and shudder slightly.

No, I can't be that pushy.

Sitting back down on the deck, I try to stay out of the wind, and hide behind a barrel. That stops the wind for the most part, but the cold still slithers through and pierces me like a thousand sharp knives hitting ever part of unclothed skin I have exposed. I stare at the ground, and notice a thick nail sticking out of the floorboards.

Grinning, I begin to pry it out. Even though a nail is just a nail, I can use it as a sneaky weapon anyway. Leaning against the barrel, I close my eyes, trying to think of how to use the nail I'm turning over and over in my hands. Then I get a whiff of it. I bolt up, and look at the barrel next to me. I grin to myself maliciously, realizing I've hit the jackpot.

Plunging the nail into the barrel, I begin to saw away at the wooden exterior, and try to open a small hole enough for the contents to spill out. I slam the nail in one more time, and then a spurt of liquid shoots out of the hole.

The smell of rum blasts me in the face a bit, and I dodge out of the way of the emptying barrel. I move onto the next, and the next, until all five barrels are empty and the rum is wetting the deck. I smile to myself and go back to my bucket. Taking up the metal handle, I slosh the water over to rum to make it look like I just knocked over the water pail. I smile at my cleverness, and look around for some rope.

Tying the end to the pail, I toss it over the edge of the deck, and it fills with sea water. I haul it back up and pour that on top of the clean water, to mask the smell of rum. They can't blame me for a salt water wet deck from sea spray.

I stick the nail deep into my brown hair, and vow to make sure that no one will find my only weapon.

…

Hours pass, and I begin feeling the cold wind seeping into my brown clogs and poking my already freezing feet. I hear merry making down below deck and lots of pirate singing and the smell of freshly cooked pheasant, but true to his word, Drew has not come to get me up from the top deck. Only the lookout and the first mate are up here with me, but they are completely ignoring me as I sit, curled up against the deck, feeling freezing.

My eyes begin to droop closed as dark clouds float ominously above the ship and the light disappears, causing night to fall. I bury my head in my knees, and shiver violently.

_I wish I were below deck..._

Everything around me begins to fade away, and my world is replaced with just the thought, feeling, and pure being of cold.

…

I feel a blanket of warmth around me, and wonder if I've left the dreary world where Drew Hayden is the ultimate ship captain.

My eyelashes flutter open and I look up at a tan painted ceiling, with a small, gas chandelier.

_I don't think that this is heaven..._ I think, and something moves into my view.

"Are you alive?" Drew asks. I try to sit up, but he takes my shoulders, and pushes me back into the pillow.

"Don't get up." he sits back in his chair and I stare at him. He gives me a look. "You didn't tell me you were weak against the cold." I look away, not answering.

"Where is this?" I finally ask.

"My cabin." Drew answers. I purse my lips.

"Why am I not in my quarters?"

"Because yours are not warm whatsoever." Drew says flatly. "Anyway, my lookout saw you on the deck, and told my first mate you weren't responding." Drew looks at me for a response before he continues.

"I found you sprawled on the deck, and I carried you down here." I turn back to him and smirk.

"So you had to carry me yourself since your men were too busy being drunk?" I raise my eyebrows. A smile spreads across Drew's face.

"Ah...I know about your little rum trick." he says, and holds up a nail. My eyes widen and I glower at him.

"Pretty smart of you to mask the rum smell with the smell of salt, but I'm not that ignorant." Drew says, holding it in front of me. I clench my fists underneath the blankets.

This captain is making fun of me! But he doesn't pocket it like I thought he would do.

Instead, he tosses it to me and it lands on my stomach. "You wont be able to do anything with this nail, and I'm sure of that, so I'll let you keep it." Drew stands up after making his rude remark.

"Well, you need your rest if you're going to be helping me with the ship, because I don't take people on who wont work." he smiles at me, then leans in, and kisses me on the forehead.

My face flares up in a red brilliance; not because of embarrassment, but in anger. This captain is trying to make me keep my guard down! I will not allow him to get away with it!

Drew leans back, then winks at me, infuriating me more, and he stands up. Walking over to the door he takes the handle and opens it.

"Well, for the time being, you will be staying in my cabin where I can keep an eye on you. Because of your little trick, we will have to dock to restock our drinking supply. Fresh water doesn't last long on here, you know." He smirks at me. "Ignorant princess."

My face turns steaming red and I use all my strength to grab one of the many pillows on the bed and chuck it at Drew. He walks through the door and shuts it before my pillow can reach him.

The pillow bounces back and lands harmlessly on the floor. I lean back onto the bed, and place the wet rag back on my forehead from where it had fallen off.

I close my eyes and try to rest, but it is impossible to do while in Drew's cabin.

…

I wake up the next morning to see Drew buttoning up his blue jacket near a desk and chair. He turns to me when I sit up.

"Morning sunshine." he says, but I just deadpan at him. Drew chuckles.

"You really don't like me, do you." he states. I nod.

"Yes, I don't like you."

Drew pauses for a moment, and something flashes across his face, but then he puts his smirk back on.

"Well, that is nice to hear, even though I let you sleep in my bed, and nursed you back to health last night." I purse my lips at his comment and cross my arms, looking out the porthole on the left side of the room.

Drew sets his captain hat promptly on his head and tips it towards me.

"Breakfast will be in thirty minutes. I'll have my first mate deliver it here." Drew walks over to the door.

"Because of your rum trick, we are docking in Sinnoh." Drew says. My heart jumps at the thought. I can escape from Drew if he and his crew go to the docks...that would make it much easier to escape when hardly anyone is around. I hold the nail underneath the blankets and look at Drew carefully, making sure he doesn't see my plan through the expression on my face.

"Well, see you tonight ignorant princess." Drew smiles, then ducks out of the cabin again, missing the second pillow and it lands on the ground next to the first.

I glare at the door angrily, as if it is the reason for all my problems. I pull the nail out from underneath my bedspread and hold it in my palm.

I can use this nail to help me escape... I look at the door again.

Just you wait Drew Hayden, I'll prove to you that I am not just an ignorant princess.

_Mother, Father, and Max...I will escape, and I will prove that the royalty of Hoenn can always prev_ail.

* * *

**Yay! Chapter finished! Whew! One fanfiction done, three to go!**

**Well, please review!**

**Until next time!**

**Merry Christmas!**

**~Misty**


	3. Chapter 3: The Port

_Contestshipping: An Age Old Tale_

* * *

Chapter 3: The Port

**Okay, sorry for the late posting...I've been super busy with my activities. And btw, this chapter will be shorter than the others. I'm too sleepy to do anything super good at the moment. Hope you enjoy this chapter anyways. ;)**

**I will be changing the rating to T just because it will make writing this story easier. :)**

**Happy 4th of July!**

**And onto the chapter!**

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The sun is setting, and I grin to myself. If Drew is going to be out in the port this evening, then I should have no problem sneaking out. I retrieve the nail from underneath my bed, and tiptoe over to the door. I open it and peek out. A guard stands there.

"Excuse me," I say. He turns and stares at me. I put on my best desperate face.

"There is a spider in here! Please get rid of it for me!" He sighs, and walks into the room.

"Where is it?" he asks. I edge over to the dresser.

"On the end of the bed," I reply. He moves over there, and while he's inspecting the bedpost, I shove the dresser over with all my might. He is knocked into the bed and falls unconscious onto the floor. I search his key ring for the specific key to this chamber.

I find the most extravagant, and rush over to the door. Locking it from the outside, I look around for other sailors. The only one that is around is the one in the bird's nest, so I run over to the edge of the ship. "Hey you!" the other guard shouts from above me, and I jump.

"Come back here!" I look around frantically. Grabbing part of a lowered sail, I put a small keg in it, and pull back before letting it loose on the guard as he starts climbing down.

WHACK! He falls and I almost scream because he might die, but his foot gets caught in the ropes he was climbing down on. I let out a breath, and run to the edge. Leaning over, I look around for some ropes to climb down on. I spot one, and sling one booted foot over the ledge. Hanging precariously, I reach down and snatch the rope.

Suddenly, my other hand slips, and I swing out away from the boat, my arm dislocating from the jerk. I bite my lip to keep myself from screaming in pain, and land on the pier, jarring my legs. I roll to a stop, and crawl over to a crate. Huddling next to it, I begin to wonder if it was a good idea to escape. I really have no idea where I am or how I'm supposed to survive. I don't even have my gold!

That despicable captain stole my possessions. I rub my burning shoulder, and wonder how I will be able to relocate it.

Freezing, I realize that if I don't go soon, Drew could come back while I'm here. I get painfully to my feet and stagger over to the walls of the seaside town. The guards are sleeping soundly, holding bottles in their limp grasps. I wrinkle my nose at the stench and pass through the arch into the town. The sun is falling even farther and I look around for something to eat.

My stomach is ravished, and I need some nourishment.

Finding a vendor, I manage to sneak underneath his stall. My dress gets filthy as I sit in the mud. I wait until he turns to help a customer before snagging a meat bun and stuffing it into my mouth. It tastes delicious, but I keep myself quiet so that I don't get caught. I then start walking down another street to look for stray coins.

"Hey there little lady," an old crone calls out. "I'm sure that these black magic talismans will work a charm for you!" My eyes bug out and I walk as quickly as I can away from her. The streets are lit with torches and there are several creepy looking figures just loitering around in the shadows.

I walk down another street towards the direction of lots of lights and find a pub. I double take, when I see Drew and the rest of his crew. I gulp, and whirl around before he sees me. My heart beats erratically, and I hide behind a building.

After a minute, I peek around just to see if he noticed me. He continues laughing with his crew, and gulps down something out of a mug. I grimace.

Gross; like most men. Max is the only male I find decent. I look away from the Captain, and start to leave.

"Hey there," a grizzly looking man says. I make a face. "Do you have your papers?" I blink.

"Excuse me?" I say. "You shouldn't speak to me that way." I feel like a moron almost immediately. I've given up my title of Princess, so I can't be acting like this anymore.

Too late.

He growls angrily.

"Well, well, well, we've got a feisty one this time," he says, and slaps me across the face, and I yelp, hitting the cobblestones. The man grabs my upper arm and slings me over his shoulder.

My head starts going fuzzy, and I start to think it might've been a better idea to stay on Drew's ship.

At least I felt a little safer there...

"Look who I've caught!" the man calls out to someone. "How much do you think we can sell her for?" My heart stops for a moment.

I'm going to be...sold?

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**Yeah...sorry it's short. But that's how long I wanted the chapter to go. ;) Hope you enjoyed regardless! And I promise the next chapter will be full of Contestshippy moments. Just wanted a cliffhanger ending!**

**~Misty**


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